BBA Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in MA

Recent News

On January 22, 2015, the Boston Globe published its third editorial citing our Task Force report. Read the articles here, here and here.

On January 14, 2015, The American Prospect published an editorial by BBA President Julia Huston. Read the article here.

Statewide Task Force Report Information

On October 15, the BBA Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts concluded its 18 month study by issuing a report, Investing in Justice: A Roadmap to Cost-Effective Funding of Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts.

Read the press release: BBA Study Reveals Majority of Those in Need of Civil Legal Aid In MA turned Away as Funding Plummets here, or the full report here.

Key Findings

64% of eligible cases were turned away by civil legal aid programs in 2013 due to lack of funding.

More than 54,000 eligible people were turned away last year, over 33,000 in the areas of housing and family law alone.

Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funding has gone from $31.8 million in 2007 to $4.5 million in 2014. During that time, the number of eligible citizens to receive legal aid has increased by 25%.

Investing $30 million in legal aid is urgently required to provide appropriate civil legal aid to those who are eligible.This $30 million investment would ultimately save the taxpayers of Massachusetts money in back end costs.

For every $1 spent on legal aid, the state’s Return on Investment would be between $2 to $5.

Press Coverage

The release of the report has resulted in significant press coverage. A few highlights include:

Everyone Gains When the Poor Receive Free Legal Services - written by Jeffrey Baliban and Renee Miller-Mizia, managing directors at Alvarez & Marsal, who worked on the Investing in Justice report, this op-ed was published in the National Law Journal.

A Push for Legal Aid in Civil cases Finds Its Advocates - New York Times article on national civil legal aid issues references the BBA Task Force Report multiple times. This story was followed by two letters to the editor supporting legal aid. Read the November 25 letter from Rory Lancman, Chairman of the New York City Council Committee on Courts and Legal Services here. Read the December 7 letter from David Udell and Ellen Rosenthal, the Executive Director and Chairwoman of the Board of the National Center for Access to Justice at Cardozo Law School here.

The Task Force

The BBA Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts was created by then-President J.D. Smeallie in 2013 to examine civil legal aid in MA and identify ways to improve the system. The Task Force was composed of lawyers of a variety of practice areas and backgrounds, members of academia, business leaders, representatives from all three branches of government and independent economic consultants.

The Task Force focused its 18 month study on three key areas of need, evictions and foreclosures, domestic violence, and federal economic benefits. The study involved intense data gathering, surveys of legal service agencies and courts, and interviews with clients and legal service employers.